4 credits. An examination of the natural processes controlling coastal ecosystems and the anthropogenic threats to the health of these systems. Focus is primarily on tidal marshes and estuarine open-water systems. The course covers a wide range of physical, chemical, and ecological processes, with special focus on nutrient cycling, primary production, detrital pathways, and marsh accretion. Anthropogenic impacts covered range from local to global, and include nutrient enrichment, hypoxia, sea-level rise, invasive species, marsh drowning, and wetland filling. Three hours lecture, several field trips.